44 | Northern Enterprise Awards 2021 Oct21580 Best HR Management Solution 2021: BrightHR For small businesses, HR is an often overlooked, but vital part of securing success. Thanks to the talented team at BrightHR, a bold new future lies ahead for this part of the business world, as technology finally catches up with the way things ought to be run. We take a closer look at how their software supports the management of people, and how it has brought them such success in the Northern Enterprise Awards 2021. The UK’s small business community is one of its many strengths, with different providers coming together from across the country to offer superlative service to their clients. While the service of these businesses has never been anything less than second to none, their ability to offer HR resources that match these demands ahs been severely lacking. Good HR often requires incredible resources in terms of time and responsibility. The BrightHR team wondered if they could change all that. Since starting in 2015, BrightHR has become the UK’s leading digital HR software platform, with 600,000+ users across not only the UK, but Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. BrightHR is designed as an aid to employers, simplifying the often-complex processes behind people management. Through one comprehensive system, they are able to log staff absences, manage annual leave, create shifts and rotas, and much more. In short, it’s a one-stop-shop when it comes to maintaining a dialogue between employees and employers. The focus on software has placed the team in good stead throughout the last few months, and has involved the development of many new pieces of technology. For many businesses, Blip (a smart clocking app), BrightSafe (expert health & safety software) and PoP (a clever expense tracker) are commonplace, but all are proprietary solutions designed for the needs of SMEs across the UK, and beyond. Thanks to a digital approach, they have the ultimate in flexibility, allowing teams to work from anywhere while still access HR resources when they need them. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a major change in the way the team operated, with customers’ needs transforming dramatically. BrightHR transformed too, with the team creating a full suite of brand- new innovative software. As new government guidelines came out, with complicated workplace regulations to follow, many organisations depended on the BrightHR team to deliver. The team thrived, during these difficult times and have continued to innovate as the situation has reached a new normal. January 2021 saw the team launch VaccTrak—an online vaccine tracker – so that business owners could record who within their staff was vaccinated and who was not. Since being developed and released to the world, VaccTrak has become ubiquitous for many. Employers have used the technology to issue staff with VaccTrak passes, which can be saved in smartphones for quick access. Having this information to hand has been the key to over 12,000 businesses being able to open safely. In a little under twelve months, the team has recorded over 120,000 statuses within the UK alone. Keeping up with the needs of the day in terms of health and safety is vital too. One of the team’s other products, therefore, has been the care navigator. Many of the leading care organisations within the UK are SMEs, and during the pandemic, the rules surrounding the sector have changed dramatically. Through the incredible software developed by the BrightHR team, the firm has been able to offer tailored health and safety support to all those who require it. This impressive online hub gives business owners access to risk assessment templates, CPD-accredited and RoSPA assured e-learning courses, and essential care-sector resources. Of course, one of the team’s greatest successes has been the launch of Bright Lightning, the UK’s first HR AI platform. This online tool will use the latest technology to provide business owners with HR answers almost instantly. Powered by the knowledge of over 50 HR experts who have over 30 years’ experience advising business owners, it’s designed to be completely free. Accompanying this impressive new software is Bright Exchange. This platform will act as an online marketplace where customers will be able to advertise their services and products completely free. Post-COVID, many SMEs have found it difficult to sell their services. Through the BrightHR platforms, it will be possible to explore the best that the marketplace has to offer. Becoming a Bright Exchange member puts you in front of 40,000 businesses and 450,000 consumers. It’s an astonishing achievement for a firm that only entered the sector six years ago. The growth of the business, however, is no surprise to those behind it. They have always lived by the principle of offering innovative products in order to retain clients and attract new business. 2021 saw the firm take on 12,000 new UK companies with their international market of global organisations jumping from 54,336 to 69,914. Such impressive growth bodes well for the future. During the most challenging time for the UK in many generations, the team at BrightHR didn’t slow down at all. They accelerated their work and committed to a bold new future. The next few months will see the team grow their presence on an international stage, while continuing to offer free support to business owners in the UK through services such as Bright Lightning in order to bolster the sector. Their incredible success is a credit to them. Few can argue with what the team at BrightHR has achieved. Their ambition is a credit to them, and has ensured continued success through the years. We celebrate their amazing achievement and their astonishing ambition, and look forward how they will continue to have a transformative effect on the SME industry as a whole. Company: BrightHR Name: Alan Price (CEO) Email:
[email protected]